lūmen lūnae
The Latin for "moonlight" is lūmen lūnae, "the light of the moon".
Latin usually says it as a phrase, for example ad lūmen lūnae, "by moonlight". Poets also say simply per lūnam, "through the moon".
Meaning: light reflected from the Moon (noun)
Which one should you use?
lūx on its own means "light" in general and does not refer to the moon.
How do you pronounce it?
LOO-men LOO-nye
Did you know?
- lūna and lūx come from the same root, so the moon was named "the bright one".
Examples in context
- lūnae lūx fulgetThe moonlight shines
- Ad lūmen lūnae ambulābāmus.We were walking by moonlight.
- Lūmen lūnae per fenestram intrat.The moonlight comes in through the window.
Example conversation
Two friends walk home late at night.
- QuintusNox obscūra nōn est.The night is not dark.
- AureliaLūmen lūnae viam illūminat.The moonlight lights up the road.
- QuintusQuam pulchra est lūna!How beautiful the moon is!
- AureliaAmbulēmus lentē.Let us walk slowly.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “moonlight” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
